Soup Sunday: Thai Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs, Chive Cream, & Candied Pepitas

Whenever we go out to eat at a restaurant, I always take little mental notes in my head of the dishes that I loved, so I can try to recreate them at home. Well, when we went to lunch at one of my favorite little cafes in Savannah, Cafe Zeum, we had the best thai tomato soup with goat cheese. We seriously gobbled it up, and I knew that I just had to make it. However, I make tomato soup all the time, and since it is pumpkin season, I decided to switch out tomatoes with roasted pumpkin. The soup was so hearty and delicious. I put my own little twist on the recipe by frying goat cheese balls, drizzling it with chive cream, and topping it with candied pumpkin seeds. This seriously is the oddest soup, but somehow all the components come together to make a tasty Thai concoction. And for all you people who love to kill yourself with spicy food (like we do... we like to be in pain from heat), drizzle some Sriracha on top to really put the dish over the top!! Enjoy :)

Thai Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs, Chive Cream, & Candied Pepitas

Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs are the Best Ever. Trust Me. 

For the Soup:

2 Small Pumpkins, Cut into Halves & Roasted

1 Onion, Roughly Chopped

1 Pear, Chopped

3T Butter, Room Temperature

2 14oz Can of Coconut Milk

1C Chicken Stock

1T Lemon Juice

4oz Thai Red Curry Paste

4 Thai Basil Leaves, Minced

Sugar, To Taste

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Pepitas:

1 ½C Pepitas, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon & Cayenne

For the Chive Cream:

¼C Sour Cream

½C Heavy Cream

Handful of Chives, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs:

Goat Cheese, Rolled into Golf-Size Balls & Chilled

½C AP Flour

1 Egg, Beaten

2T Milk

½C Italian Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling 

 

Directions:

1. To Roast the Pumpkins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully cut each pumpkin into halves and slather them with butter and sprinkle with salt. Place on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down, and place in the oven. Roast the pumpkins for about an hour or until they are tender throughout. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. For the Candied Pepitas: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the walnuts to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before garnishing on top of the soup.
3. To Make the Soup: Melt the butter and sauté the onions and pear until tender. Add in the roasted pumpkin. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, lemon juice, Thai basil, and curry paste to the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender. Bring up to a simmer again and season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar.
4. For the Chive Cream: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream. Add in the minced chives and seasonings, and then blend with an immersion blender until a smooth cream is formed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5. For the Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs: Set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, use the Italian Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the balls of chilled goat cheese into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded balls on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the sticks rest for about 15-30 minutes. In a small pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, fry the goat cheese balls for 1-2 minutes or until golden-brown & crispy (without over-melting the cheese). Place them onto a baking sheet & sprinkle with salt.
6. To Assemble the Soup: Ladle the pumpkin soup into a large bowl and drizzle the top with some of the chive cream and Sriracha. Sprinkle some candied pepitas and minced chives around the edge, and then place a crispy goat cheese bomb on top of the soup, and enjoy immediately (before the crispy ball becomes soggy from the soup).

source: thai-spiced pumpkin soup.

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

So even though I really like my first recipe for Cakey Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles, the texture wasn't exactly what I was looking for from a cookie. I wanted a chewy cookie with a crispy outside, kind of like a chocolate chip cookie. However, apparently pumpkin puree doesn't allow cookies to be chewy, but very very cakey. The solution? Pumpkin Butter. These cookies were exactly what I wanted. Definitely try these, you won't regret it! Enjoy :)

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

For the Pumpkin Cookie Dough:

1 ½ Sticks Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled (I browned the butter for extra flavor)

1C Brown Sugar, Packed

½C Sugar

1 Large Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2t Vanilla

½C Pumpkin Butter

2 ½C AP Flour

3T Cornstarch

½t Baking Soda

¼t Salt

1-2t Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cream of Tartar

1 ¼C White Chocolate Chips (optional)

     

For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar:

½C Sugar

1T Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cinnamon

¼t Salt    

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with Pam.

2. To Make the Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add in the egg and egg yolk. Add in the vanilla and pumpkin butter, blending to combine. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, & pumpkin pies spice. Slowly add in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape down the sides occasionally, and beat until combined. Beat in the white chocolate chips if you are using them (I didn’t because I wanted to keep them classic). Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out dough balls and roll them into balls using your hands. Place them onto the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour, so that the dough firms up.

3. For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar: In small mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, and then set it aside.

4. Making the Cookies: Once the dough has chilled, roll them into the pumpkin pie spice-sugar mixture until completely covered, and then place onto your prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the cookies with a little more pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar.

5. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes (rotating the baking sheet halfway through) or until the cookies look crackled and they are slightly cooked through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Once they have cooled on the sheet, remove them to a rack to finish cooling for 5-10 more minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy!

source: chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Cakey Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

I have made Snickerdoodles before, and they were a big hit with my Mountain Man. So I thought, why not make these delicious classic cookies, but with fall flavorings! The cookie base has pure pumpkin puree in it, and then it is coated in a pumpkin pie spice rolling sure. They really do taste delicious and they create the most amazing holiday smell in your house while they are baking. My only complaint of this cookie was how cakey they were, so I decided to use another recipe that would feature a chewy pumpkin cookie with an amazing gooey center. So, I will be posting that recipe in a day or two! Enjoy :)

Cakey Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

For the Cookies:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1C Sugar

½C Light Brown Sugar

¾C Pure Pumpkin Puree

1 Large Egg

2t Vanilla

3 ¾C AP Flour

1 ½t Baking Powder

½t Salt

½t Pumpkin Pie Spice

For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar:

¼C + 2T Sugar

1T Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cinnamon

¼t Salt

Directions:

1. In a bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the pumpkin puree and beat well. Mix in the egg and vanilla, and then scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture a little at a time until just incorporated.

3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for an hour, or until the dough becomes slightly firm.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with silpat. Mix all of the ingredients of the pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar in a small bowl until well incorporated, and then set it aside.

5. Using an ice creams coop, scoop out dough and roll into balls. Using your hands, roll the dough balls in the pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar, making sure that they are completely covered. Place the sugar rolled dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat.

6. Once all of the dough balls have been rolled in sugar and placed on the baking sheet, flatten the cookies with a glass by pressing the glass evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with a little more pumpkin pie spice sugar.

7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are slightly firm to the tough. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, and then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

source: pumpkin snickerdoodles.

Classic Low Country Boil

I'm sorry I didn't post much this weekend, one of my best friends came to visit me in Savannah this weekend! This was her second time coming to visit, so we just hung out, went to lunch, and explored downtown. And whenever I have a visitor, I always try to cook them a dinner that they would love! Well, she loves seafood and Savannah is known for our wild Georgia shrimp, so I knew I had to use them in a recipe. We finally decided on a classic Low Country Boil with shrimp, red potatoes, corn, and sausage. I had never made a Low Country Boil before, but I heard that it was super easy & also super tasty! Well it definitely was, and I'm so glad we made it. I honestly can't believe how we ate all that food, but it was truly delicious. We will certainly be making this again soon, it was just perfect! Enjoy :)

Classic Low Country Boil 

For the Boil:

1 Bag of Seafood Boil Seasoning

4Q Water

4 Lemons, Cut into Quarters

1 Onion, Cut into Quarters

28oz Baby Red Potatoes

1 Package of Conecuh Smoked Sausage, Cut into Bite-Size Pieces

6 Ears of Corn, Cut into Small Rounds

3lbs Fresh Shrimp, Unpeeled

Tartar Sauce

Cocktail Sauce

Hot Sauce

Cajun Seasoning

Soy Sauce

Directions:

1. Fill large pot with enough water to cover all the ingredients. Add in the seafood boil seasoning, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil (do this to taste, make it as salty/spicy as you want). Add in the quartered lemon and onions. When the water boils, add the potatoes and sausage, and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add the corn and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and sprinkle the ingredients with Cajun seasoning. 
2. Serve with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and hot sauce for dipping. 

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Obviously Fall is the best time of the year for me, I look forward to it every year. There are multiple reasons for it, and one of the many perks of this season are all the specialty drinks, such as apple cider, hot cocoa, and so on. More specifically, I get so excited to order all the new Starbucks drinks that are featured. My favorites are the Pumpkin Spice Latte & the new Salted Caramel Mocha. However, an obsession with Starbucks can start to add up after a while and get pretty expensive. So, I decided to make my own Pumpkin Spice Syrup to add to my favorite drinks at home. The syrup is easy to make and it also makes a lot (it made roughly two mason jars worth). One of my favorite drinks that I have made with the syrup is a pumpkin hot white chocolate. Whip up a big batch of this and make your favorite specialty drinks all season long!! Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Pumpkin Hot White Chocolate

For the Pumpkin Spice Syrup:

1C Pumpkin Puree

3C Granulated Sugar

2t Vanilla

3 ¾C Water

1T Cinnamon

1 ½t Ground Nutmeg

¾t Ground Cloves

¾t Ground Ginger

Directions:

1. To Make the Pumpkin Spice Syrup: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat, stirring to keep the syrup from burning. Let the mixture cook together until it starts to coat the spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the mixture using a cheesecloth or tea towel into a jar for storage. Keep the syrup in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

LSU Weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

I know I haven't posted in almost a week... bad, bad, bad blogger. I'm sorry! I went out of town to go back to visit the University of Alabama for LSU Weekend. Unfortunately my Bama Boys lost in OT :( but I still had so much fun, and I was so happy to see everyone that I hadn't seen in like 2 years!! I promise I will post a recipe tomorrow and get right back on schedule! In the mean time, here are some pictures from my weekend!! Enjoy :)

Tomato Corn Pie with Black Pepper-Biscuit Crust

I happened to come across some really gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and I also had frozen fresh corn in the freezer from this summer. So I decided to make a hearty pie. The corn filling is cheesy, while the fresh tomatoes provide a yummy sweetness. I especially love the crust. It really does have a great biscuit texture, but still has flaky layers. I added a bunch of fresh cracked coarse pepper for a little kick, and I love that. I will definitely be using it on some chicken pot pie soon! Enjoy :)

Black Pepper-Biscuit Crust

Tomato Corn Pie with Black Pepper-Biscuit Crust

For the Biscuit Crust:

2C AP Flour

1T Baking Powder

¾t Salt, Divided

1t-1T Fresh Cracked Coarse Pepper (to your liking)

6T Unsalted Butter, Very Cold & Cut into ¼inch Cubes

¾C Buttermilk

For the Tomato-Corn Pie:

1 ½C Corn

4 Medium Heirloom Tomatoes, Peeled & Sliced & Deseeded & Patted Dry

Sprinkle of Sugar

5 Strips of Bacon, Cut into Cubes & Fried until Crispy

¼C Sour Cream

4oz Goat Cheese

2T Fresh Chives, Sliced

1 ½C Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

¼t Cayenne

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1T Butter, Melted

Directions:

1. To Make the Biscuit Crust: Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the milk & coarse black pepper, and pulse until it forms dough. Split it in half and roll each out on a well-floured surface. Fit one of the piecrusts into a 9inch pie plate.
2. To Make the Tomato-Corn Pie Filling: Mix the corn, crispy bacon, sour cream, goat cheese, chives, cheddar cheese, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Place the sliced tomatoes on top of the crust and then sprinkle with salt & pepper and a little sugar. Spoon the creamy corn mixture on top of the tomatoes and lightly spread it evenly over the tomatoes. Fit the other piecrust on top, folding it over the edges of the bottom one and crimping to seal in the juices.
3. Brush the top of the pie with butter and cut slits in the top to let out steam.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling & hot.